HUNDREDS DESCEND ON PORTSMOUTH AFTER 140 PEOPLE ARRIVE ON ‘MEGA-DINGHY’ — POLICE STRUGGLE TO HOLD BACK ANGER

Hundreds of protesters descended on Portsmouth after a huge migrant boat carrying around 140 people reached the UK coast in a dramatic Channel crossing.

The large dinghy was intercepted in the Solent between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth on Sunday, September 6, after reportedly setting off from the Jobourg area of Normandy.

The journey is being described as one of the longest Channel crossings yet recorded for a migrant boat, with the launch point around 180 miles west of Calais.

A major emergency response was launched as the vessel approached the Hampshire coast.

Lifeboats, a Coastguard helicopter and an aircraft were deployed, while Border Force, Border Security Command, Hampshire Police and ambulance crews were also involved.

The people aboard were eventually brought ashore by RNLI lifeboats and taken for routine processing, with reports that they would subsequently be transferred to the Manston processing centre in Kent.

THEN THE PROTESTERS ARRIVED

Within hours, the situation on the ground became increasingly tense.

Around 500 demonstrators gathered near Eastney Marina, where the people brought ashore were believed to have been taken.

Protesters attempted to block access roads leading away from the marina, with police forming lines to prevent the crowd from disrupting the operation.

Images and footage from the scene showed officers carrying riot shields as crowds gathered around the area.

Hampshire Police imposed a dispersal order and urged members of the public to avoid the area.

The Times reported that some protesters threatened to enter the water, creating an additional challenge for police and emergency services working around the marina.

POLICE FACE A HUGE CROWD

The scale of the demonstration quickly became apparent.

The Irish Sun reported that police used riot shields and pepper spray as officers attempted to push demonstrators back from access points.

The crowd nevertheless remained a significant presence around the marina.

The protest also attracted attention from far-right activist Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, who encouraged supporters to travel to Portsmouth.

Thomas was reported livestreaming from the scene, at one point standing in the sea while protesters gathered nearby.

The protest came just one day after a separate demonstration in Dover, where hundreds of masked protesters blocked roads around the country’s busiest ferry port.

POLITICAL ANGER ERUPTS

The Portsmouth arrival immediately became a political flashpoint.

Reform UK figures criticised the government’s handling of Channel crossings.

Reform leader Nigel Farage described the arrival as evidence that the problem was spreading further along the English coast, while MP Robert Jenrick also condemned the government’s approach to illegal migration.

The arrival has also raised questions over whether people smugglers are increasingly using more distant launch points to reach Britain.

The vessel reportedly departed from the Jobourg region in Normandy — significantly farther west than the areas traditionally associated with Channel crossings.

French authorities said they had monitored the boat and had resources available to provide assistance if required.

A MAJOR RESCUE OPERATION

Despite the political fallout, the initial response was treated as a maritime operation.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it received a report of a small boat heading towards the Hampshire coast and sent lifeboats, a Coastguard helicopter, an aircraft and rescue teams.

Border Force, Border Security Command, Hampshire Police and South Central Ambulance Service were also involved.

The people aboard were brought safely ashore before being transferred into the UK’s immigration processing system.

There was no indication in the reports that the operation was treated as a mass casualty incident.

But once the migrants had been brought ashore, the focus quickly shifted from the sea to the streets of Portsmouth.

GOVERNMENT UNDER PRESSURE

The Home Office said the government was continuing efforts to reduce dangerous small-boat crossings.

It said more than 48,000 crossing attempts had been prevented and around 1,100 boats and engines seized since the election.

Officials also said crossings were down this year, with July recording the lowest number for that month since 2020.

A new agreement with France is expected to increase the number of officers patrolling French beaches by 40 per cent.

But Sunday’s dramatic arrival — and the scenes that followed — are likely to intensify pressure on ministers.

For residents and protesters in Portsmouth, the sight of a huge dinghy arriving much farther west than usual has become another symbol of the UK’s continuing Channel migration crisis.

For the government, it is another test of whether its new measures can prevent dangerous crossings before boats reach British waters.

And for police, the immediate challenge was very different:

keeping control of the streets while emergency teams dealt with the people who had just arrived.